Sporting2 - 2Rangers(agg 3 - 3)

Maurice Edu's stoppage-time goal sent Rangers into the last 16 of the Europa League after a thrilling Lisbon finish.

Rangers took the lead after 20 minutes through El Hadji Diouf's precise header from a Steven Davis cross.

Sporting levelled three minutes from the break when Rangers failed to clear a cross into the box and Pedro Mendes curled it in against his former club.

Yannick Djalo was left unmarked to head in after 82 minutes, but Edu stabbed home to ensure an away-goals victory.

Knocking out the club Rangers defeated on their way to the 2008 Uefa Cup final sets up a tie against PSV Eindhoven, the Dutch league leaders having overcome French outfit Lille 5-3 on aggregate after a 3-1 win in the Netherlands.

Rangers had reverted to their European formation of three central defenders, with captain David Weir at its heart after overcoming illness and Richard Foster at right-back.

John Fleck was a surprise choice on the left of midfield, with the versatile Steven Whittaker in an unusual central midfield role and Davis on the right.

Matias Fernandez, who scored in the first leg as a substitute for Sporting, started in midfield ahead of the man he replaced in the first leg, Maniche, while Marco Torsiglieri was in for the suspended Daniel Carrico in central defence.

And Rangers were soon under pressure as they displayed their recent inability to hold on to possession.

Indeed, Whittaker was robbed by Djalo 25 yards from his own goal and the Sporting midfielder's low drive was beaten away for a corner by goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Sporting took encouragement from Rangers' uncertainty and won a series of corners, but the Scots survived without too many nervous moments.

Walter Smith's side worked their way into the game and began to probe for openings up front, where Diouf had been preferred to Kyle Lafferty after the Northern Irishman profligacy in Glasgow.

And, when Foster prodded the ball forward for Davis, the midfielder's cross to the back post found the Senegal forward peeling off his marker and he headed back across goalkeeper Rui Patricio and into the waiting net.

Rangers were looking increasingly comfortable. However, just as it looked like the visitors would survive until half-time, a mix-up in defence led to the equaliser.

Weir failed to deal with a cross ball, it deflected off the startled Bartley and, when Helder Postiga played it back to Mendes at the edge of the box, the Portugal midfielder curled beautifully into the corner.

Diouf was involved in a head-to-head argument with Sporting defender Evaldo as the half-time whistle blew, the players being separated by the fourth official and Rangers coach Kenny McDowall.

It was the Lisbon side's turn to look fired up as the second half began and McGregor had to rise smartly to palm clear a curling Fernandez cross that would have crept in at the back post had the goalkeeper not conceded the first of three corners within eight minutes.

Sporting should have taken the lead when a chipped pass from Fernandez found Joao Pereira sneaking in behind the Rangers defence, but he headed over from eight yards.

The game was now flowing from end to end and, when a Davis header was saved by Rui Patricio, Sporting broke clear and McGregor had to block a low Pereira drive clear with his legs.

Rangers boss Smith made a surprise change after 71 minutes, withdrawing Weir, with Vladimir Weiss and Kyle Lafferty coming on for the veteran defender and the largely anonymous Fleck.

The visitors had adopted a more adventurous formation. However, when Sasa Papac was dispossessed on the touchline, Pereira's cross found Djalo at the back post and he headed powerfully past McGregor from 10 yards.

It looked like Sporting's run of six games without a victory was coming to an end until Foster played in David Healy and the substitute's ball across the face of goal was touched in by Edu from close range.

71:44 Vladimir Weiss gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Fernando Abel. Matias Fernandez crosses the ball from the
free kick right-footed from right wing, clearance made by Madjid Bougherra.

69:54 Direct free kick taken by Allan McGregor.

69:54 Substitution Vladimir Weiss is brought on as a substitute for John Fleck.

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